Hollow particles are useful as opacifying agents in coating applications such as in paint or paper-coating. The use of the hollow latex in such coatings reduces the need for expensive pigments, such as TiO.sub.2, without adding excessive and undesirable weight to the coating. The hollow latex particle provides opacity because the hollow structure in a latex particle scatters light more efficiently than a corresponding particle of uniform density. The light scattering properties are related to the difference in refractive index between the shell and the internal void. Such hollow latexes have additional utility in areas other than coatings such as in processes involving microencapsulations to prepare for example, control release agents.